Some comic books are not cheap

The first-ever Marvel comic book fetched more than $2.4 million in an online auction this week. It was the first ever Marvel Comic. It was the first sale in what became the Marvel universe of comics, movies, TV shows and video games.

The very well-preserved “pay copy” is especially sought-after because it bears the publisher’s handwritten notes recording how much the multiple writers and artists were paid. For example, Frank R. Paul earned $25 for drawing the cover of a book now worth nearly 100,000 times as much.